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CONGO / DRC REFUGEES
STORY: CONGO / DRC REFUGEES
TRT: 3.19
SOURCE: UNHCR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / LINGALA / FRENCH / NATS
DATELINE: 11-16 MARCH 2010, REPUBLIC OF CONGO
14 MARCH 2010, BETOU, REPUBLIC OF CONGO
1. Wide shot, men sitting in village where Eugenie Magba found refuge
2. Close up, Eugenie Magba’s hands
3. SOUNDBITE (Lingala) Eugenie Magba, refugee from DR Congo:
“I kneeled down at the attacker’s feet and I started to pray. When I said Amen, he also said Amen. Then he took out his knife cut my throat then he slashed my left arm. Then three others came in and cut my wrist, my shoulder and my head. Then they said- she’s finished, let’s go.”
12 MARCH 2010, BETOU, REPUBLIC OF CONGO
4. Wide shot, Oubangui River and one of the refugee sites
12 MARCH 2010, BETOU, REPUBLIC OF CONGO
5. Wide shot, woman cutting wood at the site of the Falco match factory now abandoned and used to house hundreds of refugee families
6. Various shots, refugees
7. Tracking shot, Oubangui River bank
13 MARCH 2010, REPUBLIC OF CONGO
8. SOUNDBITE (French) Oscar Mombondo, UNHCR Republic of Congo
“We are in a low water period, making the river Oubangui difficult to navigate. As a result we have real problems to reach the refugee sites because the only means to get to them is on the river- and that’s not possible. This is the biggest problem for the operation, not to mention the insecurity on the river itself.”
12 MARCH 2010, BETOU, REPUBLIC OF CONGO
9. Tilt up, Falco site with refugees inside
10. Various shots, refugees inside the abandoned factory site
11. Med shot, children eating from pot
12. SOUNDBITE (Lingala) Josée Idoma, Refugee from DR Congo:
“The war was so intense that we couldn’t take anything with us. They were also killing people. Since we arrived, it’s been raining and we can’t sleep well. We also don’t get enough to eat.”
13. Wide shot, Josée Idoma preparing food
14. Close up, washing pot
15. SOUNDBITE (Lingala) Josée Idoma, Refugee from DR Congo:
“I was with the father of my children. The shot at him first and he fell and died. //cut// I left the body of my husband in the water and got out of the boat. We went through the forest. Some friends helped me to Eboko”.
16. Close up, Josée baby
17. Med shot, Josée
18. Med shot, men fighting over limited resources at the Falco site
14 MARCH 2010, BETOU, REPUBLIC OF CONGO
19. Med shot, pulling bucket of water from well
20. Med shot, young girl pulling bucket of water from well
21. Wide shot, girl walking away with bucket of water
Eugenie is still trying to forget the brutal attack that left her arms virtually useless. As Eugenie begged for her life – the attackers showed no mercy:
SOUNDBITE (Lingala) Eugenie Magba, refugee from DR Congo:
“I kneeled down at the attacker’s feet and I started to pray. When I said Amen, he also said Amen. Then he took out his knife cut my throat then he slashed my left arm. Then three others came in and cut my wrist, my shoulder and my head. Then they said- she’s finished, let’s go.”
However, Eugenie was still alive and a villager helped her across the river to safety. She has no intention of returning home. Despite the lull in the violence, the brutality of the attacks has left a permanent scar on the victims.
Many of the refugees fled during attacks on their villages and were unable to bring anything with them across the river. Living in dozens of sites along the Oubangui - they are completely dependent on the goodwill of locals and the small amount of aid that has gotten through.
UNHCR has deployed teams by boat up the river, to access some of the remote sites. However, the water level is now extremely low limiting access to those who need help.
SOUNDBITE (French) Oscar Mombondo, UNHCR Republic of Congo:
“We are in a low water period, making the river Oubangui difficult to navigate. As a result we have real problems to reach the refugee sites because the only means to get to them is on the river- and that’s not possible. This is the biggest problem for the operation, not to mention the insecurity on the river itself.”
At the sites which are accessible, the conditions are minimal at best.
One site for a refugee camp is still under construction, and will only accommodate the most vulnerable refugees. The families who are crowded into this former match factory have little shelter from the rain, and are surviving on what they forage from the forest:
SOUNDBITE (Lingala) Josée Idoma, Refugee from DR Congo:
“The war was so intense that we couldn’t take anything with us. They were also killing people. Since we arrived, it’s been raining and we can’t sleep well. We also don’t get enough to eat.”
Josée fled with her husband and 5 children. They tried to escape in one of the ferries that ply the Oubangui, but the attackers followed:
SOUNDBITE (Lingala) Josée Idoma, Refugee from DR Congo:
“I was with the father of my children. The shot at him first and he fell and died. //cut// I left the body of my husband in the water and got out of the boat. We went through the forest. Some friends helped me to Eboko.”
Like the other refugees, Josée says she doesn’t want to return to her home unless she is sure the rebels have been arrested. For now she has no means to support herself and hopes that aid will arrive soon.
This fight is over water. Except for the river, there is no source of clean water here. But it’s not the only resource in short supply, these refugees are in need of everything; food, shelter, and basic supplies for living. In many villages, the refugees outnumber the locals, and shortages are becoming chronic.
Severely wounded refugees like Eugenie only hope that when this new refugee camp opens in the coming weeks, that she will be one of the lucky few who will find a temporary home there.
Until then she relies on the goodwill of others to help her survive.
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